Can Photons Experience a Traffic Jam in a Bose-Einstein Condensate?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether photons can experience a "traffic jam" when passing through a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), particularly focusing on the analogy of slowed light and the behavior of photons in this state of matter. The scope includes conceptual reasoning and technical explanations related to light propagation in BECs.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that slowing down light in a BEC could be analogous to cars slowing down on an interstate, potentially leading to a traffic jam of photons.
  • Another participant argues that photons do not actually slow down but are absorbed by the BEC, implying that they do not experience a traffic jam in the traditional sense.
  • This participant further explains that photons spend most of their time being "carried around" by excited atoms in the BEC rather than moving freely.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether photons can be said to slow down or experience a traffic jam in a BEC. There is no consensus on the analogy or the underlying physics of photon behavior in this context.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the nature of photons and their interaction with BECs remain unresolved, particularly regarding the definitions of "slowing down" and "traffic jam" in this context.

lawtonfogle
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By sending light through bose-eistein condensate ( hope I spelled it right, and I am going to use BEC instead from now own) the light slows down. Do the particles have a traffic jam at the BEC or do they move closer to gether.

normal light BEC slow light close together
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like this or like this
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normal light BEC slow light with traffic jam


I base this off of cars on the interstate. If one was to slow down there would be a trafic jam and the cars would all be close together. Also, if the car stays slow for to long, the trafficjam backs up farther. If given long enough, it will back up to where the interstate begins.(This is based on a one lane interstate.

Instead of cars, use photons. Will this happen or is there some fact I am missing?? :confused: ??
 
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You can more or less think of the photons themselves always traveling at 'c'. (A purist might argue that photons don't actually have a position or follow a path). So what happens is that the photons don't slow down - they get absorbed. The fact that 'c' is low means that almost all photons get absorbed, and stay that way for a long time, and spend only a very small amount of time actually moving. Most of the time they are just being "carried around" by some excited atom in the BEC.
 
pervect said:
You can more or less think of the photons themselves always traveling at 'c'. (A purist might argue that photons don't actually have a position or follow a path). So what happens is that the photons don't slow down - they get absorbed. The fact that 'c' is low means that almost all photons get absorbed, and stay that way for a long time, and spend only a very small amount of time actually moving. Most of the time they are just being "carried around" by some excited atom in the BEC.

excited electrons, to be exact.

Regards,

Nenad
 

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